"Ginji, I need to get to Grand Chokmah."
The white haired pilot blinked at my request, still drowsy from the look of it. The residents of Sheridan don't have fixed sleep schedule, most of them prefer to abandon sleep in favor to finishing a project as quickly as possible and sleep away the fatigue after said project is done, so the sight of him still in pajamas even though it's noon wasn't that surprising.
I've seen worse. Once, he flew me around the world without sleep for five whole days, and when I said 'I'd be here for long to look for information,' he just smiled, heads to the inn without a word, and collapsed. I finished researching two days later, and he was still asleep like a log.
His dirty pilot jacket was covered with filth from plane maintenance and he smelled of sweat, but still he's not bothered at all.
I almost thought that he's dead, if not for the faint movement of his chest.
At least now he had some sense to get clean first.
It's not like I was the one who woke him up anyway. Aston did. And the old man was also the one who dragged him down to the hall before going to his workshop.
Something about working on a design for Malkuth or something.
"Uhm, good morning?"
"Yes, good morning. Albiore. Grand Chokmah. Now. Emergency."
He rubbed the back of his head and hummed like he was considering something, all the while stifling a yawn.
"I'd love to pilot for you like old times, Luke, but... I can't. There's no plane to pilot, you see. My sister is using it at the moment and I don't know when she'll be back."
Damn it. The dreck did mention he saw Albiore in the ferry earlier. Didn't mention which direction it's going though.
"What about your plane?"
"Well, you remember the crash you made me do three years ago so that she wouldn't have to? Yeah, with Akzeriuth gone, some essential materials needed to fix it is not available anymore. So, only one Albiore available since then. Sure she lets me ride it every now and then, but-"
"Where's she going to?"
"Ah, funny thing. I think Aston asked her to ask someone about the design he's supposed to work with, and I think Guy was the one who made the design?"
So she's heading to Grand Chokmah.
Damn what bad luck...
"Fine. Thanks."
I whirled around and decided on using plan B, which had popped into my mind almost instantly.
"... Ginji."
The replica murmured his name like he's not believing what he's seeing, his lips slightly curved into a smile. I walked past him, bumping his shoulder, and headed for the door, I needed to secure a ticket to Daath as soon as possible.
"Luke?"
Ginji called suddenly when I was just about to open the door out of the hall and I looked back to the still sleepy looking pilot.
"Hey, I'm really sorry okay? After you saved my life and all... I dreamed about the time I saw you fighting the big monster in the highland and-"
"I didn't."
"Eh?"
The replica seemed pale, and frozen in spot. He tried to look at my face, but apparently couldn't.
"But I was so sure you did... I mean, you beat the big dino looking monster too... In less than ten minutes even. It was with Guy and Te-"
"It wasn't me."
"But-"
"I'm leaving."
That's how my meeting with Ginji went down.
Before I return to the port, I went and bought some provisions for the travel. Some gels, some bottles, the necessities. I'd probably have to stay in Daath too, so I went to the nearest authority and asked them to send a message to Natalia since I'll be away longer than I thought I would.
'There's problem I need to discuss with Jade. Don't worry. Will avoid monsters. Will be back as soon as possible.'
The replica meekly suggested that I send one to Father too, but whatever. It's not like he'll miss me or stuffs. He's too busy to care. Always has been.
"Luke? Uhm, it's pass noon already... You haven't eaten anything since yesterday lunch so... Before going to the port how about stopping in a bar and get something? Please?"
He asked me when I was exiting the town, and I answered him by swallowing a lemon gel.
"It's not good for you. You need proper nutrition, Luke..."
"Shut up."
"But-"
"I said shut up, you dreck!"
I whirled around and glared at him. He flinched visibly and seemed hurt, but he was the least of my concern. People were looking at me with wide eyes for my sudden outburst.
Great. Just what I needed.
The trip to Daath was rather quiet.
Probably because I decided to lock myself in the cabin the whole trip to Daath. The distance to Daath Port is closer than to Baticul, so I'll probably arrive there before midnight. Which means, I'd have to stay in Daath until tomorrow.
Actually, I could just wait in the port, but I might as well go to the cathedral and check the library if hallucinating is a seventh fonist thing. It won't hurt to look.
The road will probably be dangerous, it's nighttime after all, but I got Key of Lorelei, and enough gels and bottles just in case. Sorry to Natalia, I don't think I'll be able to avoid all of the monsters.
Or the bandits.
Well, no matter.
They should know who I am anyway with one look. There shouldn't be anyone else who has red hair and green eyes like mine who's around my age. At least, not anymore. If they know what's good for them, they'd avoid me like plague.
Unless if someone decided to be stupid and made another replica of me.
But that's unlikely, I'd feel some adverse effect if that's the case.
I was lucky ten years ago. I don't think I can be that lucky again. I'm sure if someone decided to replicate me, I'd drop dead in an instant.
Outside, there's storm.
The ferry is rocking so bad, I'm glad I didn't eat anything. If I did, high chance I'd throw up already.
Outside, I could hear the replica making noises with each rocking, his body bumping with the walls a lot and he yelped and whimper undoubtedly in pain.
It's getting annoying.
All of the sailors were in deck, trying to keep the ferry afloat, so there should be no one around.
I opened the door and glared down at his pathetic figure.
He was rubbing his bruised arms and he looked up to me with big green moist eyes.
"... Get in."
He blinked in surprise before smiling and standing up abruptly, only to fall back down again because of another rocking of the ferry.
"Uhm, tha-thanks," he said as he settled in a bolted chair, his hands still rubbing the bruises in his arms. Noticing that I'm watching him do that, he stopped and clenched them into fists on top of the table.
"I'm okay! I think... It doesn't hurt!"
He tried to say, again with his smile although this time is a bit strained, even though I didn't say anything.
Like I would even ask if he's hurt... I couldn't care less about him. And now he's just my hallucination.
With a sigh, I gave him some apple gels.
"Do-don't! It's for the trip to Daath and-"
"Shut up and eat, or I'll shove this down your throat."
With a wince, he complied. He took the gels from the table and gulped them down in one go.
The bruise disappeared in an instant and he smiled gratefully.
"Be quiet or I'll throw you off board."
"Yes!"
He responded gleefully, and his smiling face was the last thing I saw before I went to bed. I couldn't sleep as all last night, and I need to be alert for the road to Daath later.
Perhaps the lack of sleep clouded my mind too.
It wasn't until later that I realized that I just feed my replica, and the food I gave him really did vanish.
The replica couldn't be my hallucination.